Erik Sullenbarger is a junior and a member of the track team.

Over the years, Sullenbarger has participated in the 4x100m relay, the 800m run, the 400m run, the 100m dash, long jump and triple jump. He began his track career many years ago; it all started when his friend, Adam Hobe, asked him to run track with him in 5th grade. Sullenbarger has been participating ever since!

“My favorite event is triple jump because it’s quite easy to do, but people don’t do it because it looks hard,” Sullenbarger says.

Track is a sport in which participants compete against people from other schools as well as people from the home school. A person, as an individual, may get 1st or 2nd place in a race or field event, but the team gets points for each placing finish on the team. So, if 3 JM students take 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the teams earns maximum points in that event.

“I think track is more of an individual sport,” Sullenbarger says, “because there are only 3 events in which you need other people. I think track is a team sport, as well, because you need to work together to win.”

Every year, Sullenbarger and the other members of the track team work to beat their PRs, or “personal records”. A person’s PR is the best time or distance that they have achieved in a running or field event. This is a common goal among runners, throwers and jumpers alike.

“I love trying to beat my previous records,” says Sullenbarger, “One goal I have for this year is to jump 46 feet in triple jump instead of 43 feet”.

Sullenbarger is a dedicated member of the team, and he always tries his best for himself and for the team.  His future looks bright in track, and it is going to be exciting for him to get better and better as he goes through his junior year season.